


Angus Learns About Stuff

by NotAWerewolf42



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Families of Choice, Family Bonding, Gen, Gender Roles, Questioning, gender stereotypes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24260506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotAWerewolf42/pseuds/NotAWerewolf42
Summary: Angus McDonald knows, on some level, that his parents are not good people. He’s read enough books to understand that.Taako, Magnus and Lup help Angus unlearn some of the gender-related shit he's been taught.Idea stolen from Sterling by Grimmseye
Relationships: Angus McDonald & Taako, Lup & Angus McDonald, Magnus Burnsides & Angus McDonald
Comments: 14
Kudos: 133





	Angus Learns About Stuff

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Sterling](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14250927) by [Grimmseye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grimmseye/pseuds/Grimmseye). 



Angus McDonald knows, on some level, that his parents are not good people. He’s read enough books to understand that.

They’d sneer and cross the street when they’d see tieflings walking towards them. They’d mutter rude things about the two elven men holding hands in the marketplace and steer Angus away. And of course, they’d tried to fill his head with hateful ideas about people who were different.

Angus knew that these were wrong ideas and that he should be better than his parents.

It still catches him off-guard when he first sees Taako in a skirt.

He doesn’t say anything about it at first: Taako’s just heading to the cafeteria to eat, and he’s caught up in conversation with Merle and Magnus, so Angus just looks.

He knows that Taako is flamboyant and that he certainly enjoys looking good. But the way his parents raised him, he can’t help but think it odd.

So when he finally catches Taako alone, he asks.

“Sir, why are you wearing that skirt?”

Taako gives Angus a look, almost as though he’s confused by the question. “Cause it looks good?”

“Well sir, it's just, you are a man.”

Taako eyes him over. “First off, cha’boy wouldn’t call himself a man. I’m a wizard. Second, Taako doesn’t care what anyone thinks he should wear. I make anything look good, I’ll wear whatever I want.”

“Huh, I guess I never really thought that was something you could do...” Angus replies, thinking it over.

He doesn’t know how to describe the look Taako gives him.

* * *

It's a few months later when Angus’, or rather his parents’, ideas about gender get shaken again.

He’s at the boys’ home, where they’re having dinner together. After Refuge, and everything with the Temporal Chalice, they wanted to take some quiet time. When Angus returns from the bathroom, he finds Merle painting Magnus’ nails bright pink.

If it had been Taako getting his nails done, he might have expected that. But Magnus?

When Magnus spots Angus watching, he speaks up. “You want to get yours done next?”

Angus sits down next to Magnus, watching more closely as Merle carefully applies the polish. “Um, sir, isn't.... isn't that a 'girly' thing??”

“Ango, I learned a long time ago that gender is bull. I feel pretty with pink nails, so I’m gonna get pink nails.”

It's so simple, but it makes Angus reconsider some stuff. And he feels comfortable now, with these three. “My parents used to teach me that I was a boy, so I had to do masculine stuff. Wear suits and cut my hair short.”

“Well your parents sound dumb,” Magnus replies candidly.

“Alright fancy lad, what do you want,” Merle asks him, holding out a selection of coloured bottles. Angus spends some time considering his options.

When Taako brings out the dinner, Angus shows off his sparkly blue nails.

Taako approves.

* * *

Lup is even more chaotic than Taako. Before meeting her, Angus would have assumed that that was impossible.

But Lup is rowdier, and much more willing to get her hands dirty. Literally.

And one day, a fair bit after getting a new mortal body to inhabit, Angus learns about Lup’s view on gender.

They’re in Neverwinter, Lup and Taako bathing in the limelight and delighting in the attention when a noble-type, the kind Angus’ parents would have dealt with, offers Lup and Taako gifts. Probably hoping to curry favour with the ‘legendary heroes’.

“For you Taako, I offer an arcane focus. It’s one of the oldest pieces in my collection, but for a master wizard such as yourself, I would happily give it up.”

“Dope,” Taako replies, examining the wand carefully, Lup watching from over her brother’s shoulder.

“Fuck, that’s not half-bad. I could do better, but still.”

“And for the lovely lady, some fine jewelry,” the noble continued and held out in her direction some diamond earrings.

Having been around Taako long enough, he recognized Taako’s look of envy at the earrings.

“Thanks my dude, but I think you got this backwards,” Taako stated, already swapping with Lup for the earrings

“But, uh, don’t you think that the lady would prefer the…” the noble started, but the twins already knew where he was headed.

“This, Angus,” Lup started, her back to the noble but talking loud enough for him to hear, “is some bullshit. Promise me you’ll never assume shit about people based on gender.”

Angus proudly told her, “I promise Lup. Taako’s been teaching me that gender is a lie for a long time.”

Lup smiled and ruffled Angus’ curly hair. “Good, cause the only people who believe in gender are narcs.”

Angus, hands held between Lup and Taako, left Neverwinter without listening to another word that nobleman said.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing for TAZ, so it might be a little out of character, but I tried.  
> -NotAWerewolf42, beta’d by nival_kenival


End file.
